Succumbing to Humanity
by nexusdream
Summary: Possible Spoilers based off chapter 282.He realizes too late that he had become attached.That smile, he wants to protect.How did this happen?And to top it all,an accident occurs.[GrimmHime]
1. Succumbing to Humanity

Disclaimer: No, Bleach is not mine. Sadly.

Disclaimer II: Sorry if my grammar gets the best of me. If there's someone out there willing to beta read for me, go ahead and contact me. I don't think I can submit my fics to my mother :D

Disclaimer III: Just a last warning. Contains bad language and sex. So be prepared or go somewhere else. Hope I don't get too OOC.

Disclaimer IV: Spolier Warning for recent Bleach chapters. Sets off after chapter 282

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"Succumbing to Humanity"

He had lost this battle. Again. There was Ichigo, standing in front of him, his body casting a shadow on his body while he was lying on the ground, trying to catch air and stop the blood from gushing out. It was a wonderful battle, just as he had anticipated it. Two great powers colliding that it had even drawn visitors. Stupid fangirls. One flirt and they'd be all over you.  
"I guess it's over." Ichigo's voice rang in his ears. Ichigo plucked off his Hollow mask, revealing for one short moment those demonic, merciless and bloodthirsty eyes. Then the magic was over, and he was some kid punk in shinigami clothes drenched in blood. Grimmjaw felt the anger rise again, he wanted his body to move again, wanted to punch that guy's face, but he couldn't, damn, he could hardly lift his body. In the background he could hear squeaks from that brat Arrancar...what was his name? Nell or so. Slowly and coupled with tremendous pain, he turned to the side and lifted his upper body a bit. His eyes immediately locked onto Orihime, that human bitch Ulquiorra had brought to Hueco Mundo. She had a terrified look on her face. But that terrified look was not directed to him, but to...Ichigo. She stood there, her mouth slightly open, her eyes widened to the maximum. Ichigo tried to play cool; he took a step closer to her. "Inoue." But instead of running into his arms, being grateful for him beating an Espada, one of those that have been treating her like shit, she took a step back. She lowered her eyes and stared to the ground, her body nervously shifting its weight from one leg to another.  
"Inoue...?" Ichigo's voice clearly showed his surprise. That punk didn't count with it that becoming a monster could have such a lasting effect. Grimmjaw smirked over that little triumph. Well, it was the only triumph he had, if you could even call it one to start with. He tried to grab her, but she just took a big step backwards and screamed, "Don't touch me!!!!"

She was afraid. Afraid of Ichigo. Ichigo himself looked down, obviously deeply hurt. "I see..." He turned around and walked away, that Arrancar kid following him at his footsteps. For a moment, there was complete silence and Grimmjaw was annoyed at the obviously heavy atmosphere.  
"Kurosaki-kun...!" That was when Orihime woke up from her nervous stance; she looked up, her eyes focusing on Ichigo's back. Ichigo turned around and smiled faintly. "I-I'm sorry, Kurosaki-kun!" She bowed down to him, her bow was deep, her voice shaky and loud. Ichigo showed off a pained smile, grateful that after all, she didn't hate him as much as he thought.  
"I'll definitely come back to get ya. You don't belong here. I'll kick Aizen's ass for this. In the mean time," Ichigo looked down at him, at Grimmjaw. He smirked in anticipation. "In the mean time, take care of him." Ichigo pointed with his sword at him. "When Aizen has been beaten, I wanna fight him again!" With these words, he turned around again Nell right beside him, walking off and ignoring the repeated calls of Orihime.  
Grimmjaw's strength finally gave in and he let his upper body fall hard to the ground. He looked into the endless fake sky and wondered if there will be another chance to beat that punk. Just then, Orihime's head popped up over him. She had a slight worry on her face. Grimmjaw grunted and turned his face around to avoid looking her in the eye.

"What do ya want, bitch?" He wheezed more than he spoke.  
"Hold still, please." She created this healing barrier around him, this warm, fuzzy feeling he didn't want to feel. Angrily he turned his head back to scowl at her. "How come yer not as afraid of me, as you are of that punk?" He felt his strength slowly returning. Orihime avoided looking at him.  
"I-it's not the same..."  
"Hell, it's not the same? His powers are similar to us Espada!"  
"No, it's not that!" Orihime looked angry, her voice rose. It was the first time he had experienced her like this. _She can actually get angry, too_. Orihime meanwhile looked down, her face looking sad as if she were at the verge of tears. "It's not that. Kurosaki-kun...has changed. A lot. I thought I knew him, but every time I felt sure about it, I was proven wrong."  
"Blergh," Grimmjaw felt some sort of jealousy. It was pretty obvious from her last words that she had taken interest on that punk. "Nobody stays the same, not even we. There are always things that change us." This was way out of his line to try to say something comforting and that irritated him. Being close to this human bitch made him uncomfortable and he sought to break free from it. Even though she was in the middle of healing him, he got up and broke the barrier she had established. "Enough!" He grabbed her by her collar and lifted her off the ground, making her look directly into his eyes.  
"B-but...your wounds are not fully healed!" Orihime tried to wriggle free from his grasp, but she had not even the slightest chance.  
"I'm not a wuss like that orange-haired punk!" He turned around, throwing Orihime on his shoulder like some towel. He focused on the girl crowd in the distance and shouted. "AND YOU GUYS LEAVE ME THE HELL ALONE, YA HEAR?!" Sneers and mutters came across the distance as he watched one by one leaving the vicinity. Without losing another word, he carried Orihime back to her cell, dropping her on her soft bed. He was about to leave when Orihime's voice called him back.  
"W-wait...!"  
"What is it, bitch?" His eyes narrowed and she could clearly see that he was annoyed right now.  
"W-where are you going?" She wanted to go with him, find Ichigo once more, to apologize. She had a slight rebellious look on her face.

"The hell you need to know!" He walked back up to her, bowing down to look her straight in the eyes and then pushing her hard against the wall. Orihime yelped, as she gasped for air. "H-help me...I-Ichigo..." Even though she knew those words were futile, she wanted him to come back right now. Right now, Grimmjaw made her more afraid than anything else.

"Ichigo, Ichigo! That damn kid won't hear ya here!" He yelled at her, holding her neck even tighter. Orihime tried to free herself from his grasp, pulling on his hand with her delicate fingers, but to no avail. Grimmjaw just snorted in an amused way. "Maybe I should teach ya a lesson to mind your own business!" Grimmjaw pushed her down on the sheets, his body directly over her. While keeping her neck tightly grabbed, he said, "Strip.". He wanted to mortify her, to humiliate her. There was nobody she could depend on, and it would be a satisfying sight to return a very hurt Orihime to the brat Ichigo.  
"H-huh?" Orihime looked at him surprised, not believing what he had said right now.  
"I said...STRIP!" His last word was aggressive and was undermined by him tightening his grip on her. She gasped for air, but silently obeyed his orders, making him loosen his grip a little. Carefully, and as best as she could under such circumstances, she opened her clothes, revealing her large breasts and well-defined feminine curves. She could clearly see that he was enjoying this and that disgusted her so much that she had to look away. _Why did it turn out like this_? _What did I do wrong?_ She felt his cold body on hers, the white cloth of his vest was tickling her on her sides. She felt his cold lips kissing her on her shoulder and sucking her breasts gently. He had let go of her neck and both of his hands were occupied with caressing her body. His hands, as the rest of his body were icy cold but somehow felt comforting. The same pair of hands that usually grabbed and threw her wherever were now carefully stroking her skin, making her actually relax. In fact, he did his job so well that Orihime started to feel so good and making her breaths louder.

"You're actually enjoying this, aren't ya?" Grimmjaw smirked evilly as he ran his fingers along her hips, moving on to her inner thighs. She moaned silently, trying to deny the fact the he was right. That it felt too good to hide her feelings. That she was this easy to persuade. She wrapped her fingers around the ends of his vest, the only thing that she could reach with her strength, as she moaned even more loudly. He had found her weak spot, right there between her legs. His fingers gently rubbed on her, making herself and his fingers wet and sticky. What she didn't notice was that he himself was getting pretty aroused because of this. Even though female Arrancars could be aroused the same way as she was, they were all cold to the touch. Orihime however was hot. Really hot that his cold fingers felt the sharp difference of their very existence. She was a human, frail and weak, however her spiritual power might be. He was strong and regarded anything weak as trash. Normally, he would have ripped off her pants, fucked her, and left her be. But something, maybe curiosity, made him want to touch her, kiss her everywhere. Her lips, full and probably as warm as the rest of her, seemed all too inviting. He shifted himself a little so that he could bow down to her and touch her lips. They were warm indeed and tasted sweet. He pushed his tongue into her mouth, hungry to taste her even more and to his joy, she responded, the tip of her warm tongue touching his own cold one. It seemed to her, as if he couldn't get enough, as if he was losing his composure and diving deeper into her. She didn't mind. It felt tingly, as if an ice cube was melting in her mouth and she wanted more of it. Orihime felt the pressure on her body become stronger as he pushed her body closer to his, skin on skin. It was in that moment that she realized something. She shoved his face away, startling him in the process.  
"What the-?!" He was not only surprised, but also pissed off that she had forcefully stopped the magic he was experiencing.  
"This is not a good idea right now," Orihime said, avoiding his look.  
"Right now, huh?" Grimmjaw gave off an amused snort, before letting two fingers glide into her. Orihime moaned loudly and clasped his arms with her hands as hard as she could. Her hips automatically moved upwards pressing onto his own hips that were still shrouded in his clothes. Her heart was racing. _I have to stop right now but I cannot_. She should have let herself get strangled instead of submitting to him. She only hoped that things would not turn out for the worse. Grimmjaw, who didn't know what her issue was, proceeded to remove his pants, revealing the fact that he was all hot and wet himself. He pushed her legs further apart, giving him enough room to slowly move into her. Again ice met fire and drove him crazy with lust. And he was not alone, for she too moaned and moved, hungry for more. He settled into a slow thrusting rhythm, realizing that he had taken her innocence and enjoying the fact the she was his now. He felt her fingers touch his waist as she tried to force his body closer to hers, even though it was technically impossible to be closer than now. He smirked, bent over and kissed her once again, holding her hips firmly as he moved in and out of her. He had to kiss her, because her moans were getting louder and he didn't want to invite any unwanted spectators. No, in this very moment, being alone with her seemed like the holiest moment in his entire life. He moved into an upright sitting position, pulling her along with his hands and lips. He didn't have to do anything else, because this time around, Orihime was moving up and down by herself, holding tightly to him as she could. He had the time now to look at her enjoy the feeling they were sharing, enjoy the warmth of her body touching his. Her eyes were firmly closed her hair had formed into sweaty streaks and were sticking to her face. He carefully pushed her her away and kissed her once more, this time on her neck. He licked off her salty sweat, enjoyed every moan she let off, felt that he was on the verge of explosion. However, he let her come first, simply holding her by her hips so she didn't lose her balance. Orihime dug her fingers into his shoulders and pushed her hips as forceful as possible against his. She was sweating and breathing hard when she stopped her movements and he let her head rest on his chest. It was a serene moment he let her enjoy, before pushing her back on the sheets and finishing off himself. The moment he came, he realized that he had never felt such a strong feeling before. She had wrapped her arms around him pushing him as deep as possible into her and giving him a moment of security. He actually hated this feeling, it made him feel weak, but right now, lying in her arms was actually the best feeling he ever had since he was "born". _Damn, why am I contradicting myself?_ He couldn't stop kissing her, as he pulled himself out of her, leaving a trail of wet and sticky liquids. He stayed with her, for a very long while, stroking her to sleep. _Damn, shit, fuck. What did I do?_ He carefully released himself from gazing on her. He put on his pants and silently left her prison cell, leaving a beautiful sleeping princess beneath a pile of sheets and clothes.


	2. Battle of Battles, I

Disclaimer general: See chapter 1.

Further disclaimers: No lemon but a short Aizen x Orihime scene if you want to put it that way.

A/N: Thank you for your comments! **hearts all** Sorry for the delay, I wanted to post this by Friday but plot bunnies were running away from me and I didn't know quite well how to wrap this part of the story up. So in the end, I decided to split this into two chapters. Note that even if nobody says anything save Ichigo, everybody who entered Hueco Mundo, as well as all still living Espadas and Arrancar that we have encountered thus far in the manga are at the scene. This does not count for Rukia though, for the sake of plot, she's picked up by mysterious ho-ho sandal hat and Yoruichi and needs treatment really bad. ;)

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"Battle of Battles, Part 1"

It has been two weeks or so since she had last seen Grimmjaw. She was stuck in her prison and even though she heard a lot of commotion, she could not see or partake in anything at all. Just sit and wait. And it was just that time she started feeling sick. She was not sure what it was, but she found herself cringing over the toilet seat in her bathroom and vomiting everything that she seemed to have eaten in her entire life. Her spiritual pressure seemed to have plunged down as well, as she could not always handle Ulquiorra's presence that well anymore. Luckily, he hardly came over and only made sure she ate her meals and was still alive. She wanted to see Grimmjaw badly, so badly that she had started dreaming of him. She found herself awaking and hugging her pillow tightly.

It was one of those endless nights where she looked up out of her tiny window into the night sky, wishing for the presence of anything. Being alone started getting the better of her and with her sickness and weakness going on she was happy for any company coming her way.

"Still staring at nothing, aren't ya?" It was a familiar voice coming from the back. It was a soothing voice and she smiled and wanted to turn around but just in that moment she lost control of her spiritual pressure and was forced to the ground by the presence of non other than Grimmjaw. His grin immediately turned into a frown as he watched her sink to the ground, clutching herself. "What the hell is wrong with ya?" He bent down to her and touched her but she seemed not to be able to say anything. She looked as if she was in massive pain and it took him a moment to realize she was suffering because of his spiritual energy. Immediately, he tried to control as much of it as possible, and to his surprise, Orihime relaxed, gasping for air. "What the fuck is going on?" He squatted and looked at her. Orihime looked at him, even though she avoided direct eye contact.

"I-I'm not sure myself." She stuttered and looked down. This annoyed Grimmjaw and he pulled her face back up with his hand, forcing her to look him into the eye. She was nervous all right. That was nothing new. But he felt something else was different. It was very faint but there like a splinter stuck somewhere and you didn't know where.  
"I will be needing your powers pretty soon, so better tell me your suspicion now!"

Orihime paused._ No, even if it were really the case, it was too weird to be just cast aside as a small matter. _She remained silent till Grimmjaw grew impatient, grabbed her by the collar and shook her. "Well...?!"

"I...I might be pregnant." As she had anticipated it, Grimmjaw's eyes grew wide with surprise and disbelief. Even worse, he was at complete loss of words and he just let her go like a sack. She fell hard on the floor.

"Are ya fuckin' kidding me?! How the hell's that supposed to happen?!" He shouted at her, angrily. Naturally, Orihime was intimidated like hell. She squeaked a little because of fear.  
"I told you, I'm not s-sure." From the corner of her eyes, she watched Grimmjaw get up, grunt and nervously walk back and forth. He was cursing beneath his breath, she was sure of it. She didn't want something like this to happen either.

"So how do ya make sure if yes or no?" Grimmjaw halted his movements and looked down on her. He painfully remembered their last encounter and her sudden stopping in the middle. _Even if she had told me then, would I have stopped? Hell, like something like this could ever happen, no!_

"I guess a doctor or so..." He saw that she was not easy with this either and the last thing she needed was more yelling. Shit, when did he start being considerate towards her?

"Shit fuck, a doctor..." This was getting over his mind so the only other female that came into his mind that would NOT rip Orihime apart was Halibel. "Okay. Just stay here." He needed to find that bitch fast.

Thankfully, his search didn't last long. Without any apparent purpose, she was moving through the corridors. "Yo." Halibel didn't react to Grimmjaw's voice, but moved on. "I said, yo." He sounded pissed so she halted and turned around to face him.

"What? It's not like you to come all the way to visit me."

"I need your help." There was an awkward silence, before Halibel answered, "I already told you, I'm on your side..."

"I need some OTHER help."

This time Halibel looked at her fellow Espada with a mixed feeling of surprise and curiosity. "What kind of help?"

A few moments later, Halibel found herself in the prison cell of Orihime. _Wonderful_. She looked at the scared girl that had tried to make herself as small as possible on her bed without saying another word. _Take care of her_. Those were his exact words. What the hell was he interested in keeping her safe? Wasn't that his and Ulquiorra's job? She had warned him a while ago that he was taking too much interest in her, but as usual, he hadn't listened. That damn Grimmjaw was an adolescent brat.

"Don't worry, I won't eat you." Halibel thought those words might reduce the tension in the room, even though they sounded cold and emotionless.

Orihime shook her head. "No, it's not that...y-you're too strong." Halibel wondered what she meant with that, and, like Grimmjaw it took her a while to understand that she meant that Halibel's spiritual pressure was too much for her to handle. She bundled her energy and not surprisingly, Orihime relaxed. However, she did not remain long on her bed. Not even a minute later, she was clinging to the toilet seat again, vomiting precious food that had been specially prepared for her.  
"What the-?" Halibel rushed over to see the girl embracing the toilet bowl with her hands and giving off disgusting sounds. "Are you sick?" She leaned against the door frame.  
Orihime finished off and washed her mouth before answering. "I-I don't think so."

"Do you humans not realize when you are sick or not?"

"Ah, no, no, that's not it..." Orihime smiled, her cheeks flushing a bit. She was not sure, if Grimmjaw had brought Halibel in, so that Orihime could talk to her or if he was so busy that he needed another "babysitter". After the recent fight between Ichigo and Grimmjaw, Ulquiorra and Grimmjaw were in not good terms with each other. Not that they were to start with, but when those two met, the temperatures usually dropped by at least 30 degrees centigrade. Neither of them trusted each other and Orihime found herself right in the middle between those two.

She slowly lifted her head to avoid further spinning and washed her mouth thoroughly with water.

"Well?" Halibel's voice grew impatient. Orihime's cheeks turned pink when she turned around and she avoided looking straight at the female Espada. She decided to confess to this woman, maybe it was best if someone else knew and could help out, and if Grimmjaw had sent her here, then he trusted this woman.

"I might be carrying Grimmjaw's child..." She spoke fast, maybe because she hoped that Halibel wouldn't listen properly and just wanted to hear anything from her. Unfortunately for her, the female Espada had caught every singly word and her narrow eyes widened with surprise. For a moment it seemed as if she had lost her scowling composure. This moment grew longer and she burst into laughter.

"Hahahahaha...! So that's why...!" She couldn't finish a single sentence because her last words always got drowned by her laughter. Orihime was not only pink anymore, no; she resembled a tomato, particularly one that had grown into a living question mark. Halibel wiped off her tears of amusement before trying to continue. "And there I was, wondering why _I_ was to take care of you...that damn brat is cuter than he wants to admit." After this sentence, she returned to her usual self again. "We will need to keep you away from Aizen-sama, for we don't know what he would do to you, once he finds out. He could either use you for experiments or use you as a sort of hostage to control Grimmjaw."

"A-ah, yes..." Orihime nodded quickly. Suddenly she felt Halibel's hand patting her head and saying, "Don't worry kid. You won't be killed."

Again, a few days passed, and to Orihime's delight, her spiritual pressure was coming back again. Right now, she was running next to Grimmjaw and a few other Espadas and stronger Arrancars, most of which she didn't know. Some, she did recognize though. Halibel was there, for one. The girls that had been watching the fight between Grimmjaw and Ichigo were there as well. The kids that had beaten her up so badly were there, too, though they kept a good distance between her and themselves. Her eyes returned to the man directly in front of her, Grimmjaw. It was a short briefing, but the mission was clear: Use the commotion Ichigo (quote, "that fuckin' bastard Ichigo") created to overthrow Aizen and get rid of the other two, Gin and Touzen. She was there to help heal those that were severely wounded, stay back and not get hurt, was what he said. It seemed somehow futile to her. She had seen a glimpse of Aizen's powers back in Soul Society and Ichigo back then was not enough. She didn't want to think how much stronger he might have become over time. Yet she was determined to do her best. Because it was her duty to help. Because in the end, she did care.

They reached the grand hall in which Aizen was usually seated -and to their surprise, Ichigo and the gang were already fighting. Only Aizen, with Ulquiorra right next to him, remained seated and watched the spectacle from above. Ulquiorra spotted Grimmjaw first and without a second thought, was directly before him.

"What is the meaning of this?" Ulquiorra inquired in his usual matter-of-fact tone. He still had not forgiven Grimmjaw for trapping him into another space -however short-lived that ordeal had been. Much less was he amused at the fact that Grimmjaw was dragging Orihime around. Well, it would suit the 6th Espada's intelligence of an amoeba. Grimmjaw meanwhile fletched his teeth as he stared at his nemesis number two. Hate was on both sides. And it helped Grimmjaw lose any feelings of consideration while he released himself into his Hollow form. Ulquiorra remained in his normal state but gave off a menacing spiritual pressure that left Orihime intimidated as she watched the two engage into battle. Things started getting pretty nasty for both sides and the chaos that ensued made her feel left out. It was in one of those moments when Aizen decided to play. Nobody had noticed, but in an instant, he was there standing right behind Orihime, his sword held against her neck. The battle noises immediately plunged into silence as everybody looked surprised in her direction. From opposite ends of the area, she could hear Ichigo and Grimmjaw shout in unison and jump into her direction. "Orihime!" Unfortunately, they were immediately stopped by the enemies they were fighting against.

"Ah, poor little lost soul, indeed." Aizen mocked her, as he gently grabbed her hair, twisting it around his fingers and then drawing her closer to him. Her head was pushed against his shoulder while the blade of his sword dug into her skin every time she inhaled. She was afraid. She felt his cold cheek against hers as his free hand gently caressed her body, moving along from her neck, over her breasts and then halting right at her tummy. Orihime corrected herself. She was _very_ afraid. Aizen tugged her closer to him, caressing her stomach.

"After accomplishing a seemingly impossible feat, do you not want to know what monster is lying within you?" His voice was trying to seduce her like a snake.

"W-what d-do you want, C-C-Captain A-Aizen?" She managed to stutter. Orihime wanted to sound brave, to be strong in this moment, but she only felt her entire strength leaving her, her legs becoming wobbly, her voice becoming thin.

"Well, let's see...don't you think I'd harbour some sort of scientific interest towards the child you're carrying in you?" Again, Aizen was mocking her.

"I-I don't know what you mean..." She gulped, trying to deny the facts. He sighed, letting go of the blade against her neck to ward off a double attack of Grimmjaw and Ichigo with ease.

"Do not play dumb, my little lamb; that does not amuse me very much." Silence. Everybody that was present was more or less bleeding from everywhere and exhausted. To Orihime, it seemed like being in an action movie, with everybody dead and only she and the arch-enemy standing. Usually, the hero would pop up and save the damsel in distress, but now, the damsel in distress was left alone, in the arms of Aizen and she did not know what to do. "You know, I was never really fond of the 6th Espada. Always such a rebellious kid." He finally let her go, walking to Grimmjaw that was badly beaten up, cursing himself for his weakness. Aizen picked him easily up by his blood-stained hair. "The only good thing he had ever accomplished was making you pregnant." Again, silence. This time however, Orihime's cheeks flushed as she noticed that all eyes were on her, disbelief amongst both friends and foes.

"I...Inoue...?" Ichigo's voice pierced into her like a dull knife that was forced into her body and twisted several times in her flesh. She turned around to look into his surprised eyes, as he lay there on the ground, blood-drenched. Even though, or no, maybe because Grimmjaw had made her forget her love for the orange-haired boy, she felt as if she had betrayed him. She quickly shifted her view towards Grimmjaw who was still at the mercy of his creator. And unintentionally, her glance turned to this person himself: Aizen. He stood there smirking. Orihime did not like that smirk. Nor the fact that he had a sword in his hand and Grimmjaw in his other.

"You know, you could become the mother of an entirely new generation of Arrancars. Wouldn't that be grand? And to keep population in bay, I would say, we kill off the males like a praying mantis... „He put his sword back into place. However, his hand started deform and something small slowly forming in his hands. It was when Orihime realized his killing intent and it made something in her...awake. A wave of spiritual pressure, very much alike to that of a Hollow was emitted with her in the center. It was so strong that Ishida and Chad, as well as weaker Arrancars were thrown back by it. Aizen halted for a moment. Was it surprise? Or interest? She did not know. All she knew was this feeling of hate that arose. Most of her life, she had sucked up to the things that had come over her -her death of her brother, being weak, losing Ichigo to a soul reaper. She was through with it. She wanted to be strong. Be able to protect. Be able to let her emotions run wild and scream at anything that made her mad.

Slowly, her spiritual pressure grew. The air around her grew more sinister and nobody who knew her could tell what on earth was happening to her. Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in her stomach, something invasive was expanding in her body. She opened her mouth to scream, but all that came out were gushes of white, like plaster that had become alive. It quickly covered the right half of her face, creating a beautiful piece of art -a Hollow mask. It stopped and when her gaze met Aizen again, her eyes had been filled with one desire. To kill.


	3. Battle of Battles, II

Disclaimer general: See chapter 1.

Further disclaimers: Grimmhime fluff and a very mild smut scene, language as always.

A/N: Again, thank you to all who read this

I've added my thoughts and interpretations on Ichigo's origins. It's a very short scene but I felt the need to add it.

Expect the next update to take a little longer.

And _please_, leave a comment or review on your thoughts about this story. Especially this chapter, for I'm not very satisfied with it.

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"Battle of Battles, Part 2"

She was angry. Very angry. And slowly turning into a Hollow. The white of her eyes had turned black -just like Ichigo in his Vaizard form. The mask that covered her entire right half of her face was smooth with sharp points at both the top and bottom end. It was completely white as snow. When she opened her mouth, an inhuman gnarl came out. She ran towards Aizen, raising her right hand that was slowly being covered with the same mysterious white matter as well. Lunging back her arm to increase the power of her throw, Orihime thwarted several small claw-like spikes at him. Immediately, Aizen let go of Grimmjaw and protected himself from the claws by holding up his left arm at his face's height. To his dismay, the claws exploded at touch, emitting a cloud of acid that was slowly eating itself through his cloth. Aizen didn't have the time to think of a counter attack for she had used the moment of explosion to jump up right before his nose. Again, she lunged back her arm and wanted to pierce him with the Hollow matter that had formed around it, but Aizen was wiser and quickly jumped back with shunpo. Orihime let out another gnarl, traces of saliva dripping out of her mouth. This time she tore back both of her arms and from both of her hands, bolts of claws came flying to the man that used to remain calm in every situation.

"This is a bad turn of events." He blocked most of the attacks with his sword and avoided inhaling as much acidous cloud as possible. He released his zanpakuto, whispering the words that were required to awaken its illusive powers. However, he did not get that far as to finish his chant. Orihime stomped with her right foot, and a massive wave of Hollow spiritual pressure sent everything flying, including those that were lying on the ground to opposite ends.

"What the fuck's going on?!" Grimmjaw managed to pant as he freed himself from a boulder that buried him.

"It's her wrath..." Ichigo's voice echoed from his left. He had barely avoided things flying and was leaning against his black sword, catching his breath. "We have to stop this before she completely becomes a Hollow."

For once, Grimmjaw agreed to what his enemy had said. Orihime was becoming more like he was. Shouldn't he actually be happy about it? She would soon be one of his kin and if she lost all her humanity, wouldn't that be great? The feelings he had started to harbor, those petty human feelings could be wiped away in an instant. And yet, this was not what he had hoped for. In the end, it was the fragility of her existence, that faint smile she gave him whenever glances met, the moment she had cradled herself in his arms not too long ago; those precious memories he had gained were the reasons he had grown attached to her. Sure, things would be easier if he didn't need to watch for her anymore, but losing humanity would also mean losing faith, love and compassion. She would only regard him anymore as a toy for reminiscing that what she had lost.

"If ya still have the strength to talk, I'd say you still have the strength to fight, fuckin' brat." He glanced at the orange-haired kid next to him. No way that either of them had the strength to last against Aizen.

"Maybe, depends on what that small brain of yours is thinking."

"Che," Grimmjaw spat blood and looked down at him. "That's for you to say, jumping here in and causing a commotion." Short silence. Ichigo smirked at Grimmjaw.

"So?"

"Can you take on Aizen for a minute or so? I'll try to distract the banshee bitch causing havoc and then I hope you figured out something to make her stop transforming before she rips me apart."

"We'll see. Just fuckin' hurry up on your side."

"Heh." They didn't need to exchange glances. There was a mutual understanding. And that was, to stop Orihime's wrath. She did beat the crap out of Aizen though; he was panting and his clothes were all torn. Whenever somebody came close to help him, she would blast the entire area away with releasing extra spiritual pressure. Her gnarls had slowly turned into the typical shouting pattern of Hollows and shook fear into those that knew her well.

Suddenly, a familiar face appeared right before her eyes. She knew this person, this Espada with the bright turquoise hair and the despising smirk on his face. She could not remember who it was though. Was he foe or friend? Regardless of that fact, he was standing between her and her enemy. He needed to be destroyed. Just as she was about to attack him, Grimmjaw tugged his right arm beneath her breasts and shoved her with all his power as far away as possible, burying her beneath a pile of rubbles and debris. At the same time, Ichigo had snuck up from behind and attacked Aizen. However, Aizen being Aizen had noticed Ichigo and with one swift move, he sent Ichigo flying against some remnant of wall and making him spit more blood. He then moved up to Grimmjaw.

"Still trying to protect aren't you? Even though the praying mantis wants to kill you. You are indeed so valiant." He was about to strike his sword into the surprised Grimmjaw when something else was faster. Or better, somebody. Somebody had entered the battlefield unbeknown to all participants. And this somebody had just plunged his zanpakuto into Aizen from behind. Blood spilled over Grimmjaw's face and body as the startled Aizen slowly fell over. Behind him stood none less than Isshin, Ichigo's father. He had a professional look on his face, as if it was not the first time he had intentionally killed someone. He pulled out his sword and watched Aizen lie on the ground, bleeding.

"Hah...what a surprise...to see you here..." Aizen spoke softly with a faint smile on his lips.

"Well I'm not surprised to see _you_ here at all. After causing trouble in Soul Society, you had to come down here and do the same. You are really bothersome." Isshin retained his cold look. Touzen and Gin were alarmed to see him here. Obviously, they were afraid of him for they did not take any actions but remained tense.

"So...what brings you here? Surely not to visit an old pal?" Aizen managed to turn around and give Isshin a defiant grin.

"Well, let's see...being more or less responsible for killing my brother and beating the crap out of my son, you think I'd be here to sit and drink tea with you?"

"Heh, that orange-haired boy is your son after all..." Aizen coughed up some blood. "I should have guessed...considering the fact that he has a lot in common with the Shiba's."

Isshin's face hardened as he raised his zanpakuto against the dying man. "You hell of a don't deserve to die. For every person you've inflicted pain on, you deserve to suffer twice as bad."

"Isn't it punishment enough, lying here in my own blood and not being able to accomplish my go-" Aizen did not finish his sentence. His lips stopped moving and his eyes became hazy. Isshin gave out a deep sigh.

"I will not tolerate this any longer." It was Touzen's voice that had caught his attention again. Touzen released his zanpakuto and was about to attack when another sword crossed his path.

"Ah-ah, you think Isshin-taichou would come alone, now would you?" It was Urahara. Behind him, a rather displeased Yoruichi was standing as well as a scowling Ryuuken who had been dragged into Hueco Mundo against his own will.

"Wha-wha-wha-what the hell?! D-Da-DAD?!" Ichigo yelled from his point.

"Yo." Isshin just smiled and waved at his son.

"'Yo' is the only word you can bring out after appearing here in shinigami clothes?!"

"A-hahaha, guess I need to do some explaining, later..." He became his old goofy self again. Suddenly, from the other end of the area, a Hollow cry echoed. Orihime had managed to free herself from the boulders that had buried her and was fuming. Her entire face and both her arms were now fully covered in Hollow matter.

"Ichigo, now's not the time to be stuttering 'd-da-dad', you should be helping Ori-" Isshin was scolding his son who was so flabbergasted at the sight of his father that he didn't quite know what to say. However, his words were stopped by the action of one Espada with a '6'. Grimmjaw, at the sight of Orihime, had immediately jumped up to her. _Fuck, she's__ gotta__ stop. How the friggin' hell am I to say that to a monster who's out of its mind?!_ All he knew was fighting. To kill anything that stood in his way. But that was hardly applicable right now. It was then when he remembered her smile, the stubborn gentleness she had shown, even when he had beat her up. He reached out to the thing that was once Orihime and pulled it close to him. Grimmjaw felt the immediate pain as it tried to break free from his arms by shooting acid claws into his already bruised body. Still, he held on.

"Stop." He didn't know what to do or what to say other than that. The monster kept fighting. For every attack, Grimmjaw hugged it even tighter. _If gentleness is what makes me do such crazy things, then maybe gentleness can bring you back._ He bent down and put his lips against her ear. "Orihime...wake up."

The monster immediately went limb with shock as its deadly eyes locked onto his. Was it a moment of reminiscence he saw in its eyes? Suddenly, tears were flowing from it. A loud crack was heard and the Hollow matter burst into millions of tiny shards, revealing a crying Orihime. It was probably the first time in his entire existence, whether alive or Hollow, that Grimmjaw smiled. It was a gentle smile, full of relief. He wiped off her tears with his blood-crusted, shaky hands and gently kissed her on her lips. Then he slumped down on her as his body had reached his limit. All that was left were Orihime's loud sobs as she broke down because of the weight, hugging him closely.

He slowly awoke. _Ah, just a dream_. It was the same darkness of his room that enveloped him, the same scent of...wait, this scent wasn't always there! Grimmjaw jerked up and looked around. There he could see a startled Orihime looking at him with that annoying worried face.

"What the hell are ya doing here, bitch?" He seemed his usual self, save the fact that he felt pain everywhere. Orihime smiled. It was this annoying gentle smile he couldn't resist, that smile that made her human. _Thank god, she hasn't lost it_.

"I'm glad you're doing okay." Her voice was shaky though. He noticed that her hands were clenched, gripping the cloth of her school uniform. _Wait a minute, school uniform?_

"What the hell are ya wearing?" He asked her in his annoyed style.

"Ah-ah, this?" She looked down on her uniform. "T-they want me to come back with them and sort of forced me to wear this, hahahaha..." Again, it was shaky and her laugh sounded so false, even a turtle would know it wasn't real.

"I see."

Silence. It was an awkward silence. He felt weird because usually, she'd be talking non-stop about the dumbest things ever. "What is it?"

Orihime remained silent, then tears began to flow. _That's why I hate women. They tend to cry a lot._

"I-I wanted to say I'm sorry, for all the hurt I caused you...I-I didn't mean to mess you up a-and-" She reacted on an impulse and suddenly, Grimmjaw was hugged tightly by her; her sobs began making his bed sheets wet. He felt the warmth of her body, the beat of her heart that seemed to be beating faster than light. He tugged her, bringing her crying face up to his own and the rest of her body sitting on his lap.

"Che, that's why I hate humans. Especially females. They just cry all the time."

Orihime's face turned pink as she frantically tried to wipe away the tears. "I-I'm sorry, I-"

She couldn't finish her sentence. Grimmjaw had already pressed his lips on hers, his tongue preventing her from making any other sound. It felt so good that she responded to his enticing invitation. Even though his touches, his kisses were literally cold. In these arms she felt safe, regardless of the fact that he often had used them to show his power over her. She then recalled that he hadn't done anything like that recently. Instead, he had begun using those arms to shield her, to give her security. Grimmjaw pushed her down on the sheets, his body towering over hers. He released himself from her lips to give her air to breath.

"Ah- don't move! You need to rest from your-mnph!" Orihime was silenced once again with another passionate kiss. He plucked out her blouse and his cold hand slid beneath it, caressing her soft skin. She quivered a little because of the coldness. Grimmjaw halted, pulling himself away from her into an upright position. "Did I do something wrong?"

Orihime's eyes widened. _Did I do something wrong? How did such words escape him?_ She giggled a little and sat up too. "No...I'm just not used to you touching me." She then advanced forward and kissed him, this time it was her warm tongue that was lingering on his. He dropped himself, tugging her along. Her hair had formed a closed space around his face and all he could see were here eyes. Those gentle eyes he had almost lost. He reached out to her face, gently caressing it.

"Do you remember what happened?" He asked. Orihime closed her eyes, nudging her cheek against his hand, before opening them again and looking at him with a sad look.

"N-not clearly. I recall having this feeling of weakness, not being able to help those that are important to me. Then I felt a weird tug and the next thing I recall was that I was hitting you even though you were already badly hurt and..." She was about to cry again.

"Stop whining, stupid woman." He brought her face closer to his and gave her a short kiss. "I was already badly hurt, so the stuff you did to me was just peanuts. I..." He looked away, staring at the wall. "My only thought was that I didn't want to see you become the monster I already am. That what makes you special to the rest of us is that you are what you are, human." Grimmjaw turned his eyes to face her again, and he looked into a pair of gentle eyes. _Yes, never lose that smile._ He kissed her again. This time, she was the advancing one. She had unbuttoned her shirt, revealing her soft skin he loved to caress; soon her skirt and underwear joined his pile of clothes on the ground. It was a very passionate love. He heard her moaning his name as he melted within her, her hands clasping him so tightly that he marvelled the strength she possessed. She was _his_ and he was not letting anybody else have a piece of her, let alone let her return back to where she belonged. As she lay sleeping beside him, her hair being caressed, he realized that he had become dependent on her. Orihime had become the sun in the everlasting darkness of his very existence. He bent down and kissed her on the cheek before lying down next to her and closing his eyes once more to rest his body.

"I'm not letting her go."

Urahara had come to pick her up and had barged into the naked couple. Grimmjaw had his usual annoyed look and voice, clutching a highly embarrassed Orihime tightly.

"My, my, sorry to intrude on the lovey-dovey couple!" Urahara said in his dorky way before his face became serious. "I'm sorry, but no matter how much you want to let her stay here, I fear it's impossible."

"W-why Urahara-san? It's not like I'm needed anyway!" Orihime's voice was filled with something that resembled anger. Or so it felt. Her body, at the very least was trembling. Urahara gave her a stern look. "Staying longer in this place will increase the probability that you will transform again. And the next time that happens, there's no guarantee that you can return back again. Your body already is in a constant battle with the unborn within you."

The air was very heavy and Grimmjaw felt that she didn't want to leave his clutch; it seemed to him as if she was even holding on to him tighter. He sighed. _Stop making me so weak, fuckin' woman._

"Then I'll go with her."

Startled looks from both. "Grimmjaw?" Orihime's eyes widened in surprise. Again, she had the worried look on her face. Urahara coughed. He seemed more amused.

"In your current state, I don't think Soul Society will let you stay in the human world for longer than 10 minutes."

"Whatever comes, bring it on!" Grimmjaw's voice was filled with ambition as he hurled one arm into the air, performing a mock punch. The sandal hat man laughed out loudly, hiding his grin behind his fan.

"I have a proposal for you."


	4. Truce

Disclaimer general: See chapter 1.

Further Disclaimers: Small UlquixOrihime scene.

A/N: Again, thank you to all who read and especially review this. You're keeping me going. 3

And _please_, leave a comment or review on your thoughts about this story.

"Truce"

He looked in the mirror. That bright, flashy hair that required no combing. _Well, maybe go through it with your fingers_. He brushed his hand through his untidy hair. _Maybe use this weird thing called brush?_ Still not satisfied, he took the entire bathroom shelves apart, frantically looking for something like a brush.

"Are you alright?" From behind the bathroom door, he could hear Orihime's voice sounding worried.

"Yeah, fuckin' hell, where's the brush?!" He snorted, making the bathroom look as if a bomb had detonated in there. Suddenly he heard a click and the bathroom door opened. At the door, Orihime was standing in her school uniform; in her right hand, she was holding a hair brush. Cursing to himself, he grabbed it and tried to arrange that thick hair of his. Orihime simply smiled and stepped up to him, making him pause in his movements. She studied his face and then reached up to put one small hair strand the other way.

"There. Grimmjaw always looks great!" She then planted a kiss on his cheek, making him blush madly. "We need to go now, so you better hurry!" She said, leaving the bathroom to him again. Grimmjaw sighed. He always thought being an Espada would bring challenge, but living in the human world was even more of a challenge.

--------- FLASHBACK----------

_'You friggin' decided what?!' Halibel's voice was raised. And it was rare that she raised her voice._

_'You heard me! I can't leave her alone now can I?!' Grimmjaw retorted back. Halibel seemed to be at loss for words. Orihime was standing there, feeling guilty for the commotion in the main hall with the remaining Espadas._

_'Just leave him be.' Ulquiorra stepped up from the damaged throne. He walked past Grimmjaw, past Halibel and right to Orihime. She gulped in fear, her body leaning back as the 'new' leader of the Espadas studied her from head to toe. 'Once you give birth to that child, make me a child.' His voice sounded so dry that Orihime was not sure whether to take that for a joke or real. On the other hand, Ulquiorra never made jokes._

_"EH?!"_

_Ulquiorra had grabbed her hands, and drew her closer to him. It was the first time she was looking into those pale green eyes. Was there a hint of lust in his eyes? Was Aizen's pet capable of emotions? Her body tension eased down a little; if he had such quirk ideas, it was likely that he wasn't interested in killing her. Just yet._

_Suddenly a fist came flying, hitting Ulquiorra in the face. An extremely angry Grimmjaw stood there. "What the fuckin' hell's wrong with you?! She's mine and that means you don't have no friggin' right to touch her anywhere! Let alone make her pregnant!!!!!!!!" He was seriously pissed off._

_'Well, considering the fact that it is possible to create Arrancar this way, I thought it would be wise to establish a new generation of-' Ulquiorra's words were cut off by Grimmjaw._

_'Hell, she ain't no birth machine! So if ya want to do your shit then look for somebody else, you-' _

_'Cut it out Grimmjaw, we get your point. However, you do know that if you become human, you lose the right to possess the 6th position among the Espadas. You will be degraded. Will you be able to live with that?' Halibel's voice had become normal again. Grimmjaw remained silent for a moment._

_'Che, I know damn well what's in store for me. So what? I can come back anytime and rip the current 6th Espada to pieces.' He smirked, forming his hands to claws. Halibel smirked back -at least it seemed that way, for she always hid her mouth behind her collar._

_'You haven't lost that spirit yet. Good. Keep it. You - no both of you- are invited to drop by Las Noches anytime.' With these words, Halibel left the hall. It was her way of saying goodbye to someone she really liked._

--------- FLASHBACK----------

Grimmjaw loosened the top button of his shirt as he followed Orihime to school. It had been part of that weird sandal-hat's proposal to join her in school. After all, he was there to protect her, right? _When I get my hands on him..._

Today, classes were starting again and Grimmjaw had no idea what was in store for him. What he knew was that he hated the name that had been casually derived from the word Grimmjaw Jeagerjaques..._Gurimu Jiigatake_. He shuddered at that thought. What the hell was that sandal-hat man drinking when he came up with that piece of crap? If he had wanted, he would have so come back to Hueco Mundo, to Las Noches, to beat up whoever was in his way. His thoughts were interrupted by a humming girl walking beside him, carrying the biggest smile he had ever seen on a human face. _If he had wanted._ There was an invisible chain, dragging him back into the world of the living, right into her arms. Grimmjaw had first thought it would be impossible to shake off his old being, the one that wanted to crush anything standing in his way to reach the top. But in reality, he found it much easier to let go. Whenever she wrapped her arms around him, he had that weird sensation. The sensation that nothing really mattered anymore, save to be in her arms. The few days they had come back to the human world, she was the one who was stronger, the one who he could run too, if things like buying milk in the super market was too much of a task for him.

When they arrived at school, a short girl with spiky hair approached them, smiling like hell.

"Orihime!"

"Tatsuki-chan! It's been a long time!" Both of them embraced each other, ignoring a grumbling Grimmjaw in the background. Suddenly, a red-haired girl brushed his side. She dashed right up to Orihime, gripping her breasts tightly.

"Himee!" The girl squealed in delight. Orihime shrieked in discomfort. Just in that moment, they noticed the presence of the man that was with Orihime. And he was really mad right now.

"What the fuckin' hell gives you the right to touch her...?" He growled, emitting parts of his Hollow spiritual power and intimidating everybody around him, well except of Orihime of course, who was pretty used to it already.

"Ah...Grimm-chan, don't!" Orihime exclaimed, clasping his arm.

"I told you to stop calling me 'chan'!" He shouted, turning towards her.

"..." She looked to the ground, obviously hurt.

"Ah, uh, um...I-er..." Grimmjaw was at loss of words. _I'm doomed. I'm so doomed._ He contained all his spiritual power again, giving room for the others to breath. "Sorry." He said gruffly, and freeing himself from her clasp, walked on even though he had no idea where to. Orihime looked after him, then turned around to her friends and bowed down.

"Ah, I'm very sorry for the commotion!" She then followed his footsteps.

"Who the hell was that?" Chizuru wondered, correcting the position of her glasses.

"Hell I'd like to know myself." Tatsuki looked worried. She had felt such power before...she recalled...there were those guys dressed in white who were sucking out the spirits of people...if Ichigo hadn't been around, she most probably would have shared the same fate. Ichigo! She needed to tell him. Being in a hurry, Tatsuki hurried into class.

"Ichigo!" she slammed the door open of the classroom. Thankfully, Ichigo, and even Rukia were already there.

"What's wrong? You look as if you've seen a ghost?" Ichigo inquired, not moving from his desk.

"Ichigo, today there was this weird guy with Orihime and I could swear there was this evil-"

"Ah, so this is your classroom, eh?" Tatsuki was interrupted by the same voice she had heard earlier. She turned around only to find that guy with Orihime. The guy was looking around, his glanced slightly bored. He suddenly caught sight of her. No, he stared directly beside her. At Ichigo.

"Ah look who we have here! And I thought this will be boring!"

"Boring?! Well, it was your idea for coming here so you should quit complaining!" Ichigo got up from his seat, glaring angrily at the newcomer.

"Oh, so you think I'd hand her to you, then, huh? Friggin' hell no!" The other one sneered.

"At least I don't influence her that badly as you do!"

"Ah, so in what way do I influence her badly, huh, you stupid orange-haired brat?"

"Um...you know each other?" Tatsuki asked, slightly flabbergasted.

"No, we have never met before!" They chirped in unison, both giving her an evil glare.

"Ah, Grimm-chan, don't fight here!" Orihime's voice sounded so sweet and those watching could clearly see that her words were stabbing him everywhere.

"So it's Grimm-chan now, eh?" Ichigo mocked, crossing his arms. Veins popped. Grimmjaw was at the verge of releasing all his spiritual imagery.

"One more word _shinigami_ and I'll kill you..."

Just in the nick of time their homeroom teacher Ochi entered. "Okay class, come one, a new year, new hope! Ah, I see, the new student is getting along well with Ichigo, good job to both of you! Then you can take a seat next to Ichigo!"

Ichigo's jaws dropped to the bottom. "Uhm, I-"

"Ah, thank you very much, Mrs. Teacher!" _What the hell?!_ Ichigo glanced at Grimmjaw. _Since when could he act like Rukia?!_ Grimmjaw had in fact put on an artificial smile (it could be mistaken for a natural one, Ichigo wasn't really sure about it, because he had never seen Grimmjaw smile so serenely before. And honestly, he was afraid. Very afraid).

Classes went by without much interference. Okay maybe save the fact that Grimmjaw's new hobby consisted of making tiny paper balls and shooting them right at him. And whenever Ichigo's patience exploded, it was always him who got the trouble while Grimmjaw innocently whistled in the air. Well, at least no Hollows were around to annoy him even further.

Lunchtime was spent on the roof of the school building. The usual gang had gathered: Keigo, Mizuiro, Chad, Ishida, Rukia, Orihime and even Tatsuki. Oh yeah, and then there was Grimmjaw. Ichigo' scowl turned from bad to worse.

"I don't know what's getting at you so much..." Rukia had joined his side and was slurping apple juice from a juice packet.

"I don't like him." He didn't have to point or nod in the direction, Rukia knew who he meant.

"Stop with your antics. You sound like some jealous father."

"Jealous father?!" Ichigo turned and looked down at the small girl smiling innocently while sipping juice with a straw.

"Well, what else could it be? Or are you...jealous because she's taken?" Her voice sounded evil, especially because she didn't lose that innocent smile while saying it.

"What the fuck? You know very well-" Ichigo was about to explode, when suddenly Orihime packed out her lunch.

"I'm going to eat now!" She chirped, happily. To their great dismay, Orihime seemed to have packed lunch for 20 people: several bowls of rice, weird-looking dishes (they did _not_ want to know what it consisted of) and some cakes and sweets. Both Orihime and Grimmjaw were drooling like little children.

"Ah, lunchtime!!" Grimmjaw grabbed a pair of chopsticks and started gulping down a bowl of rice, helping himself to all the side dishes. He was not even afraid of mixing a slice of cake with soy sauce and eat it with rice. To his left, Orihime was keeping up with his food rage and within 5 minutes both of them had finished all the food she had prepared without losing a word or even blinking with the eye.

"You know what...?" Rukia said, her facial expression gone from smile to disbelief.

"...they're creepy..." Ichigo added with the same disbelief in his voice.

"Aaaah! That was great!" Orihime proclaimed, gently patting her stomach.

"Yes, though the chocolate sauce could have been made a little sweeter, don't you think?" Grimmjaw agreed, patting his stomach equally and leaning back against the fence.

"You think so? I thought you might not like it too sweet..."

"He actually enjoyed what she cooked..." Tatsuki was suddenly next to Ichigo and Rukia with the same expression on her face. Ichigo sighed.

"Well must be kudos to being a monster..." He mumbled to himself as he watched those two sparkle like some newlywed lovey-dovey couple. Tatsuki however caught what he had said.

"What do you mean?" Her voice sounded worried. Ichigo, realizing what he had said, began to stutter.

"Uh, I mean, he's a monster for eating what she had made, don't you think?" He tried to avert disaster. But Tatsuki saw right through him.

"Who is he?"

"Uh...er..." Ichigo tried to make up some cheesy plot as to who Grimmjaw was and _why_ that damn Espada actually was here.

"Ichigo..." Ichigo received an evil glance from Ishida who was sitting quietly between Keigo and Mizuiro.

"I..um...Ishida and I have some important business..." With these words, Ichigo grabbed Ishida by the arm and dashed off, leaving Tatsuki standing there and wondering.

"Orihime, may I have a word with you?" Classes were over and Orihime and her weird companion where about to leave the school grounds. Tatsuki was standing at the gate however, waiting for them.

"Of course, what is it, Tatsuki-chan?" Orihime smiled the usual way.

"I'd like to talk with you alone, if possible." She didn't dare look up to that Gurimu guy, even in this state, there was something bothering her. Orihime gave a questioning glance, then looked up to him who was towering behind her.

"Ah, I got it. Don't worry, I'll find my way home by myself." Grimmjaw remarked, slightly agitated. He walked past Orihime, sulking, when he was grabbed by her. She tugged him to her height (luckily there was not that much of a difference) and planted a kiss on his cheek, making him blush a little.

"Please be careful. I'll hurry back as soon as possible." She smiled at him. Grimmjaw smiled back at her, patting her on her head.

"If you don't hurry back, I'll turn this place upside-down." His smile was gentle and Tatsuki suddenly felt bad for pulling her friend away from him. As soon as both had lost sight of him, Tatsuki began to speak.

"Tell me, Orihime...who is he actually?"

"Huh?" Orihime's mind was still filled with thoughts of him, so she hadn't paid attention to her friend.

"I mean, he has the same aura like back then, those two guys that came out of nowhere and sucked out the energy from all humans nearby...!" Tatsuki was definitely worried. Orihime bit her lip. Tatsuki was her friend after all these years, right? She couldn't leave her out of this thing, right? _But would she accept it?_ _Well, wasn't it too late anyway?_

"Orihime...?"

"Ah, sorry, Tatsuki-chan! I was lost in thought, so..." Orihime tried to hide her anxiousness with false play. Tatsuki looked to the ground.

"If you cannot tell it to me, your friend, then I have to accept it. I just thought we were close enough that you'd trust me." _Ouch. That hurt a lot. Don't do this to me._ Orihime looked equally sad.

"It's not that I don't trust you, Tatsuki..."

"What is it then?! What the hell has happened?! I tried to call you several times, but you were never there during summer break! And then now, you suddenly come up with some weird guy who has a strange spiritual aura and you two are as if you've known each other forever!!!!" Tatsuki was shouting at her furiously. _No, no, I'm sorry, I didn't want it to sound this way, please, god, don't let her turn away._ Orihime's eyes were still focused on the ground.

"Well, if you want to know," She said after a long silence. "Care to buy me a drink and go for a walk?" Her eyes were sad, it seemed so unlike her.

"Mhm."


	5. Make My Day

Disclaimer general: See chapter 1.

And a HUGE THANKS TO ALL WHO COMMENTED! Thank you so much for showing your appreciation!!

This chapter is rather short because it originally belonged to chapter 3 but made it too long. I decided to cut here to satisfy your reading pleasures. :-)

And _please_, leave a comment or review on your thoughts about this story.

* * *

**"Make My Day"**

The two of them were sitting on a bench, watching the river flow and the sun set in the background. Both Orihime and Tatsuki were having canned orange juice.

"So?" Tatsuki said leisurely, drinking a sip out of her can. Orihime chose not to answer immediately. She rotated the can in her hand, staring at it like hypnotized. She then sighed.

"Well...Grimm is my boyfriend."

Tatsuki spread the entire juice that was in her mouth on the side walk. "Damn Orihime, considering how close you two were, I would have guessed that already..." She said, slightly annoyed.

"Ah, you're right, hahahahaha, silly me!" Orihime gave off a childish laugh. Her childish laugh quickly subsided as she began staring at her can again, turning it like some mantra.

"What's with him, actually? I said that he doesn't emit a very friendly aura."

"Mhm."

Tatsuki decided to just wait this time. _It must be something really so uncomfortable for her to be avoiding speech like this._

"You said his spiritual energy was similar to those two back then when you were attacked, amongst others."

"Yeah." Tatsuki took another nip.

"Well...truth is...those two were...I mean are...his comrades."

Tatsuki looked at her friend, horror painted all over her face. "What did you just say?"

"Ahahaha, Ijustsaidthatheislikethemjustignoreme!" Orihime said, bashfully rubbing her hand against the back of her head.

"Then what the hell is he doing with you! Such a _thing_ has no right to be here in the first place!" Tatsuki got up, her feelings travelling between rage and worry. This time it was Orihime that got mad. She looked up at her old friend, her eyes glistening with anger.

"Never, ever judge him the same way you judged the others!"

"Well, then explain to me how he, with such an evil spiritual energy is any different from those monsters!"

"He is not a monster!" Tears welled up in her eyes. She lifted the now empty can and was about to throw it at Tatsuki, when the better of her got her back to her senses. "So much has happened back then...in the end, even when the lights had long gone..." She began, trying to be brave and swallowing her tears. With the little rest of inner strength left in her, Orihime smacked herself in the face and gave off short bashful laugh.

"O-Orihime..." Tatsuki was surprised. Not only had her friend defied her so passionately, she was willing to resort to physical attacks. _What has happened to you? I can't stand it being here with you and not recognizing you any more._ Orihime sat back down on the chair, looking up into the sky - her face had turned serious.

"So many things have happened since then..." She looked down at her hands that were resting on her lap. "To be honest, it was the worst summer in my life." Orihime suddenly smiled. It was a different smile than what Tatsuki was used to -it was not this childish, this innocent smile, the one she used when she was anticipating delicious food or so, no, it was something else. Orihime seemed so grown-up with that smile, it was so unusual that Tatsuki got worried again. "Then again, during this summer," her friend continued. "During this summer, I've learned a lot. And one of these lessons was that I cannot be without him any more." She looked up to Tatsuki, keeping that new smile of hers. "And I believe he feels the same way, or he wouldn't have gone through all the trouble by leaving his world and staying with me."

Tatsuki gave up. She patted her friend on her head.

"I give up. If you care so much for him, then I just hope he's worth the trouble he's caused you up to now." She smiled. Orihime chuckled a little.

"Oh no, I need to get going, or else he'll get too worried!" She jumped up, tossing the empty can into the bin. Before heading back, she turned around once more to her friend. "Thank you for listening!"

"Ah, no worries, just get back home already!" Tatsuki replied, waving goodbye to her old friend.

"Ah Orihimechan!" Isshin chirped happily, as she entered the clinic.

"Uh, hello Dr. Kurosaki..." Orihime replied politely. She had a check-up appointment today, much to her horror. It usually meant that the entire gang was there -Ichigo, Rukia, Ishida, Chad, and even Urahara and Yoruicihi -even if the latter preferred to appear as cat. And no, it didn't help her relax if the entire crowd was there, staring blankly at the ultrasonic screen, trying to identify which piece of pixel was her child. _No, Grimmjaw and hers._ Grimmjaw was smart enough to avoid accompanying her further than to the doorstep. The others screeched "ruthless", but Orihime knew very well why. He was always nervous when it was about her, more nervous when it was about their child, and just a nerve-wreck if everybody stared at him and any of the first reasons applied. She knew very well that'd he'd take everything apart and that's why he chose to stay somewhere...further away. Best, five blocks away.

"Ah there it is! The bundle of joy!" Isshin proclaimed excitedly, pointing at a strange grey-white figure, vaguely similar to a foetus.

"Oooooh...!" The rest remarked, blinking and trying to guess which part of it was the head and which was the foot. Orihime sighed. Even though she was all happy inside, she didn't want a crowd right here. All she wanted was _him_. Yoruichi jumped up on the bed she was lying on, purring.

"What is it Yoruichi-san?" Orihime asked, making a bit space for the cat.

"I noticed good progression on your side. The Hollow power of the child seems to be nullified by your own spiritual pressure, so nobody would notice anything different. However, I cannot guarantee it will be the same once it is born. Kisuke," Yoruichi waved the sandal-hat man to her.

"Ah right, I nearly forgot it!" Urahara grabbed into his wide sleeve and pulled out something that looked like a wooden talisman. "You should start wearing this, just in case. It absorbs Hollow spiritual energy." Orihime took it and wrapped it around her wrist.

"Dad, the hospital has just called regarding the gender tests!" Karin came in, only to find the entire crowd staring at her, waiting for her to proclaim the results. Instead, she got angry, a vein popping up on her forehead. "What the hell! Everybody, get out, out, out, now! Yes, you too, Ichi-nii!" She shoved everybody out, grabbing Yoruichi by its neck and throwing her after the rest. She closed the door and looked at her father. "DAD! I told you last time already that Orihime is not some weird TV show that everybody can barge in on like that!"

"Ah, sorry my dear daughter! Papa won't do it again!" Isshin put up a crying act, enraging his daughter even more. The _Kurosaki family is always so lively._ Orihime smiled, wiping away the remnants of gel from her tummy and pulling down her long-sleeve shirt. It was already winter, christmas was near. Lucky for her, the extra sweaters helped her hide her little belly, so it was easy to keep it a secret from the rest of the school. Her breasts had become painful on occasion that she was very thankful for Grimmjaw and his quick reflexes to avert groping attacks from Chizuru. Isshin had insisted she was perfectly fine and the should consider herself lucky that up to now, her pregnancy was running like any other pregnancy, save for the fact that nobody would know the outcome of this strange mixture.

She watched the father and daughter continue fighting and sighed.

"Well, I think it's time for me to go now..." She said with a faint voice.

"Ah wait, Orihime! Don't you want to know?" Karin mumbled through her teeth while pushing back a daughter-addicted father.

"Nevermind... I'll just surprise myself!" Orihime answered as she was about to open the door.

"No wait!" Karin was able to finally free herself. With a swift leap, she was right beside Orihime and whispered something into her ear. Orihime blushed a little but at the same time, showed a genuine smile. Whatever it was, Karin seemed to have made her day..


End file.
